Social promotion has its benefits, as well as its cons. What is important is to decide which outweighs the other. It is important to determine whether promoting students, despite their ability to perform academically, is better for their well being than retaining them to help learn the material would be. In this post I will point out what researchers believe the benefits of social promotion are, as well as what its downfalls are.
The first and foremost benefit of social promotion is that it will prevent psychological damage. Students who are retained are separated from their friends, which often leads them to believe they are not as good as their friends. This typically makes them have a lowered self esteem because they don't see themselves as being as successful as their friends who have passed to the next grade. By promoting students and keeping them with their peers this damage can be avoided. It is believed that students will work better if they are passed on to the next grade because they will strive to be as good as their peers. They will work harder to stay in the same classes with their friends in order to keep their statuses in their social circles. They will do what it takes to avoid being separated from their friends.
This may be the case if their friends are the type who work hard to make good grades, but what happens when students are surrounded by other students who just keep sliding by and being passed on? If none of them strive to succeed then is promoting them on really doing them any good? By continuing to pass groups of students along without them being able to perform basic academic skills, such as reading and simple mathematics, what is going to happen to them when they try to join the workforce? While helping with self esteem while in school, it is in turn hurting students once they graduate. They are hit at once with the difficulties they will forever face on getting a job. Socially promoting students also teaches them that failure is okay and should be accepted. They are being taught that even though they cannot do something, it's okay because they can get by without it. Again, this is something that may work while getting through school, but when they graduate and begin looking for a job, won't work. Employers won't keep employees that continuously mess up. So while social promotion may prevent self esteem damage while the students are in school, is it worth what they will face when they graduate?
The first and foremost benefit of social promotion is that it will prevent psychological damage. Students who are retained are separated from their friends, which often leads them to believe they are not as good as their friends. This typically makes them have a lowered self esteem because they don't see themselves as being as successful as their friends who have passed to the next grade. By promoting students and keeping them with their peers this damage can be avoided. It is believed that students will work better if they are passed on to the next grade because they will strive to be as good as their peers. They will work harder to stay in the same classes with their friends in order to keep their statuses in their social circles. They will do what it takes to avoid being separated from their friends.
This may be the case if their friends are the type who work hard to make good grades, but what happens when students are surrounded by other students who just keep sliding by and being passed on? If none of them strive to succeed then is promoting them on really doing them any good? By continuing to pass groups of students along without them being able to perform basic academic skills, such as reading and simple mathematics, what is going to happen to them when they try to join the workforce? While helping with self esteem while in school, it is in turn hurting students once they graduate. They are hit at once with the difficulties they will forever face on getting a job. Socially promoting students also teaches them that failure is okay and should be accepted. They are being taught that even though they cannot do something, it's okay because they can get by without it. Again, this is something that may work while getting through school, but when they graduate and begin looking for a job, won't work. Employers won't keep employees that continuously mess up. So while social promotion may prevent self esteem damage while the students are in school, is it worth what they will face when they graduate?
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